University of the Sunshine Coast clinch Men’s Triathlon champions on home soil

UniSport Media Release

For release: 18 March 2024

In a historic first, the University of the Sunshine Coast (UniSC) have clinched overall champion status in the men’s competition of the Nationals Triathlon championships at the Mooloolaba Triathlon.

Over 40 students from 18 Australian universities competed in the Mooloolaba Triathlon from 9-10 March on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland. The race categories on offer included the Sprint and Standard distances in men’s and women’s categories. The University of Queensland (UQ) had the highest representation of competitors with 10 student-triathletes sporting the purple tri-suits. However, phenomenal performances from the UniSC team outshone the triathlon powerhouse university. The UQ women were out to reclaim their title as overall triathlon champions however, due to the limited number of eligible university teams in the women’s competition, a pennant was not able to be awarded.

UniSport CEO Mark Sinderberry, stated ‘We’re thrilled to see the incredible spirit and determination showcased by university students at the Nationals Triathlon championships this year, with participants from 18 prestigious Australian universities, this was a true testament to the commitment and athleticism within our academic community.’

‘Moo Tri is an exceptional platform for these athletes to demonstrate their skills and represent their universities on a national stage, and I commend each and every triathlete for their dedication and sportsmanship.’

‘Their participation in events like Moo Tri not only enhances their personal growth but also fosters a sense of unity and pride among universities across Australia, and I encourage more student-athletes to get out there and represent their university with many more national championships on offer.’

Georgia Ensbey (UQ) put on a masterclass performance in the early hours of Saturday morning to clinch the top spot in the women’s sprint distance. Ensbey was a force to be reckoned with as she held steady through the swim, navigated the bustling crowds on the bike, and cruised through the run to the finish line seven minutes ahead of UQ counterpart Felicity Cradick. Harriet Irving from Griffith University (GU) narrowly edged out Western Sydney University’s (WS) Tayla Croudson, by 21 seconds, to take home the bronze medal. In the men’s sprint race, it was a tight finish for gold with only 40 seconds separating first and third place. Cooper Carswell (GU) took out the top spot with a phenomenal finish against local rival Hayden Small (UniSC), followed closely by Casper Larkin from UNSW Sydney.

Kristie Caplikas from The Australian National University (ANU) posted an astounding time in the women’s standard distance race beating the rest of the UniSport crowd by four minutes! In the battle for silver and bronze, it was a tight tussle between Emma McInnes (UniSC) and Laura Gillard from Charles Sturt University (CSU), the reigning UniSport Nationals Triathlon Standard Distance Champion. However, racing on home soil has its advantages with McInnes claiming second place by less than a minute. Queensland University of Technology (QUT) student Jordan Chugg’s performance over the weekend looked effortless as he crossed the finish line in record time to win gold for QUT. Daniel Luke (CSU) trailed not far behind the QUT triathlon veteran to take UniSport silver and Mooloolaba Triathlon gold in his age category (25-29), followed by UniSC student Sebastian Asher.

UniSC Facilities Manager Melanie Schipp said ‘UniSC is extremely proud to receive the first pennant of the year! This achievement is the first of a long list of UniSport events for students to strive in this year as part of the UniSC Sport and Fitness community.’

Alongside these outstanding performances, there were several student athletes who in this event to achieve new personal bests, as they braced the warm waters and the winding roads of the Mooloolaba Triathlon.

To see the full results from Nationals Triathlon, click here.

The 2024 UniSport Nationals series continues with the Nationals Athletics championship taking place in April at the Gold Coast Performance Centre.

For more information please contact:

Alyce Baumber

Marketing and Communications Manager

alyce.baumber@unisport.com.au

07 3876 2610